Heartbeat
by My Desire
Summary: We all know band competitions can be places full of emotions such as happiness, jealousy, sadness, etc., but what happens when Allison, a young sophomore mellophone player falls for a snare drummer from another school?
1. A New Season

Chapter One: A New Season

I woke up before my alarm clock went off that morning. It was about five till 6:00 am and I decided to just shut off the alarm before it could make its horribly loud sound. I lied in bed for a couple of minutes trying to fight the urge to just fall back asleep until I looked over at my clock on the night stand and saw it was 6:02. Slowly I rose from my bed and made my way to the bathroom.

I turned on the lights and looked at myself in the mirror for a moment. Uh _I look like a freakn' zombie!_ I thought to myself. I started to take off my cloths and start the shower. When the water was warm enough I stepped inside and let the water fall on me. While I took my shower I couldn't help but think about how today was going to go like.

Today, September 15th was my marching band's first band competition. Band competitions were nothing new to me since this year I was a sophomore in high school and my freshman year had been full of success for our marching band. When I first joined the marching band way back when my band director asked me if I wanted to play the mellophone, and I said yes. It wasn't such a big switch for me since in middle school I played the French horn and the mellophone wasn't too much different from it. So through my whole freshman season I became a very good mellophone player.

This year however, was different and a big part of the show depended on me. What had happened was the oldest mellophone player from my freshman year had graduated and the one who was the second oldest had moved to another town over the summer. This only left me, Brian (a boy in my grade), and two freshmen. Since I was the best player my band director appointed me as section leader of the mellophones. I was happy about the decision, but this meant a lot of pressure on me. I was the youngest section leader of the band and for our show this year I was to play a very large solo in the second movement that pretty much took up the whole song.

I stepped out of the shower and dried myself off with a tower. Then I made my way back into my room put on a clean pair of underwear, a bra, blue jeans, and my maroon band t-shirt that read Morrison Marching Indians in gold thread. Looking back at the clock I quickly dried my brown hair and put it up in a messy pony tail. Then I bent down to put my shoes on and quickly ran down the stairs with my mellophone case in hand.

"Aren't you going to eat something?" my mom asked waiting by the front door.

"I don't have time right now mom, I'm going to be late if we don't leave now!" I told her as I grabbed my black jacket from the closet.

"Well could you at least just grab a piece of fruit or something other wise you'll be to weak to march today," she said.

I rolled my eyes and walked into the kitchen to grab an apple. We both walked outside into the chilly fall morning air and jumped in the car. The ride there only took about four minutes but it felt like forever. I was already nervous, great. When we finally arrived at the school I quickly got out of the car also hauling my horn case with me.

"I'll be here at 11:00 when you get back ok." She said through the passenger window.

I nodded to her and started too walked towards the band room entrance when she called to me again.

"Ally don't be nervous you'll do great today," she said waving goodbye.

I waved back then walked through the door and into the band hallway. When I got inside many of the other students were scurrying around trying to find their marching shows, uniforms, instruments, etc. I however, was prepared. I walked to my band locker and opened it. Inside were my marching shoes and my uniform. I grabbed them then with whole hands made my way back outside and to my bus where the other students were already loading their things and some already seated.

Once on the bus I made my way to the back where I saw my friend Jess waving and calling my name to come sit by her. I smiled at how loud she was compared to everyone else. When I finally got situated making sure my instrument was in a safe place and my uniform and shoes were together I sat next to my friend.

"Oh aren't you so excited!" she squealed. "It's our first competition!"

"Yeah I suppose I'm pretty excited," I said.

"You're just saying that because you're nervous," she said.

"I guess I am a little."

"Don't be it will be fine!"

I smiled and nodded to her. I guess I was just so nervous since it was my first time playing a solo. A couple of minutes later the buses started and we were off. The drive to the place we were going was about three away and we had to get ready for a parade show once we got there. Then later on that evening we would perform our marching show. Yep it was going to be a long day.


	2. Changing on the Bus Sucks!

Chapter Two: Changing on the bus sucks!

During our drive there I found myself drifting in and out of sleep, while my friend Jess listened to her CD player. It made me wish I'd brought mine. I sat up a little and looked around the bus to see what everyone else was doing. Most were just talking to one another while others had CD players and some were just goofing off. I rolled my eyes and sat back down in my seat. I looked out the window to watch the scenery or more like corn fields. Before I knew it though I had fallen back asleep and all of the noises around were drowned out.

The next thing I knew I was being shook from my nap. When I eyes opened I saw Jess facing me trying to wake me up.

"We're here so you'd better get up now!" she said to me.

I yawned and stretched myself out then stood up. Everyone around me was starting to stand up as well as we came to a stop next to another school's bus. I turned my head to the left to look out the other side of the bus to watch our other two buses pulled up to each other.

"Ok everyone you've got five minutes to stretch and go to the bathroom then be back here to change into your uniforms!" yelled one of our drum majors.

We all started too walked off the bus and made our ways to the bathrooms and or water fountains. When Jess and I walked into the large brick school we were amazed at how large it was for a school in the country. The competition was being held at a rather big and fairly rich looking school out in pretty much the middle of nowhere. It just looked so big compared to our crummy school.

After Jess and I went to the bathroom she and I made our way back to our bus. While walking back I looked around at all the other band members from different schools. They all looked so ready to do their best. Me on the other hand, well I was feeling a bit different.

Once back on the bus Jess and I walked back to our seat near and back and took out our uniforms from their bags. Changing on the bus was never a fun or easy task, but it was just one of those things that just couldn't be avoided. First I started to untie and take off my sneakers, and then I put my size 6 drill masters on. Next came the tricky part. This was the part where I had to remove my jeans without anyone seeing my underwear, preferably boys. I looked around the busy bus to see if any boys were looking in my direction, and luckily they were all too busy with their uniforms to care that a girl was about to take off her pants. It was a good thing my friend was next to me and I had the window seat.

Slowly I began to take off my jeans and let them slid down my legs. As I started to grab for my black slacks I was suddenly filled with a feeling of being watched. I looked up from the seat to see if anyone was watching, there was no one. As I went back to trying to put my slacks on, for a quick second I turned my head towards the window and just as soon as I turned my head back the other way, I turned it back to the window. There in the window of the other school's bus that was parked next to ours was a guy and he was wearing a rather large smirk on his face at the sight of me in my underwear!

I felt my face get hot and I quickly sank down in my seat trying to hide. _How embarrassing!_ My mind yelled. _I'm such an idiot!_ I shakily slipped my slacks on and stood up. I glanced over to the window to see if he was still there, but he was gone.

"What a jerk!" I said to myself.

I grabbed my shako and took my mellophone out of its case. Then I stepped off the bus and outside into the warm September day. I started to head over to a spot that was somewhat anyway from the bus where my section and I could warm up at. As I walked I couldn't help but look over to my right where the other was. I saw some members of their band gather their vanguard helmets and fixing their uniforms. Others were starting to warm up and some were just goofing off. Then I saw him! The one who had been watching through the window while I was in my underwear! He was standing by a group of people who I assumed were in the drum line since some were wearing their drums and others had sticks in their hands. He was putting on his snare drum while some ditzy looking girl was trying to get his attention. _Hmph! What a twit! _I thought to myself.

When I finally picked a good spot for my section to warm up at, I stopped and waited for them. As I waited I couldn't help but look over at the perverted snare drummer who had spied on me. He was tall, had dusty blondish hair, and looked pretty damn cute in that uniform…_Wait!_ _What am I thinking!_ I snapped the thought of my head by hitting myself in the head with my mellophone bell.

"Um Ally are you ok?" asked Kristen, a freshman mellophone player.

"Oh yeah! I'm fine!" I said quickly.

She gave me a weird look then started to play her horn. A couple of seconds later the rest of our small section came up and we all warmed up together. Soon our band director called us back over to get us ready for our parade show. As we walked over to him, I looked over my shoulder to see if the snare drummer was still there. He was playing what I figured to be their parade show. He looked so serious and every movement of his wrists were dead on. I couldn't help but watch him. As I stared suddenly I saw him smile. _Is he staring at me! _

"Um Allison you can join us as soon as your ready," my band director said to me as the rest of my band stared at me. I quickly ran to my spot in the center arc, my face was beet red.


	3. Boys in Uniforms are Cute

Chapter Three: Boys in Uniforms are Cute

Our parade show had gone great! Well that is if you don't count all the missed notes, bad marching, and oh yeah one of our bass drummers fell over. Other than that it went pretty ok. When we were finally done marching we all kind of shattered and slowly made our ways back to our buses. The heat from the day and that fact that our uniforms were anything but light and cool had made us tired and hot. As I walked back to the bus I didn't even bother to wait before taking off my shako and uniform jacket. My body was all sweaty and hot.

Once on the bus I made my way to my seat and just sat down for a second or two. I was exhausted from the heat and the length of the parade. I decided it was probably a good time to change back into my normal cloths since not many people were on the bus at the moment. I set my jacket, shako, and mellophone done then I started to unzip my slacks. I stopped though remembering that fact that the last time I changed I got spied on by that boy. I looked to my right and into the other buses window, but the whole thing was empty. Thank God!

When I was done changing back into my regular cloths I walked off my bus and over to my band director who was telling us that we had to be back and changed into our uniforms by 8:00 sharp. Good that gave me a few hours to relax before our field show! Our band director dismissed us and we were off to do as we pleased until it was time to come back. I figured I'd meet up with Jess over by the concession stand so I started to make my way over to where the football field was.

As I walked I watched all the other bands starting to get ready to perform their field shows. They all looked so ready and serious. Sometimes I wished our band would be as good looking as the other bands were. _Oh well. _ I thought. I continued to walk towards the football field when suddenly another band was marching in a block straight for me. I moved out of the way and to the side. I watched them walked by in their black and green uniforms and their black vanguard helmets with huge feathered plums sticking out of them in the shape of a horse's mane.

The taps from their snare drummer's drum became louder as the drum line came closer. As they passed I stopped in my tracks when I saw that it was that guy who had watched me and he was the one who was keeping the time. Just as he and the other two snare drummers were about to pass me, he turned his head to look at me! I couldn't see his eyes since the shadow from his helmet was covering them but I knew he was looking at me since he had a smile on his face. Then all too soon he and the rest of his drum line passed by leaving just the colorguard at the end to pass by.

"I wonder what his deal is?" I asked myself trying to sound like I totally didn't care, but in all actuality I had butter flies in my stomach.

I shook my head and continued to walk towards the football field. I glanced back once just to check if he was still there, but thankfully he wasn't. He was probably just some hot shot drummer just like the rest of them. I was probably more musical than he was! It was an ignorant thought but I didn't care!

"Ally there you are what took you so long!" asked Jess when she spotted me.

"Sorry, I took longer than I thought," I said.

"Gez no kidding!" she giggled.

"Ok, ok I get it!" I laughed. I decided that I'd tell her about the boy later.

Once we got to the concession stand Jess bought a piece of pizza and water and I got some skittles and a Gatorade. We walked over to the bleachers and picked a seat to sit and watch some of the bands perform. They would walk out onto the field and then the announcer would saw their school name and mascot then ask the drum majors if their band was ready to take the field for competition.

As time passed Jess and I got bored of watching the bands perform after three bands ended up playing the same show as one another. Jess stood up then I followed. We walked down the stairs and onto the ground. We both decided that we could just walk around the area. Really there wasn't much to do.

"Oh Ally look over there isn't that guy cute?" she asked pointing to a trumpet player in uniform.

"He sure is," I said, just agreeing with her to make her happy.

"Hey look at that guy over there!" she said pointing to another boy.

When I looked I saw that it was that snare drummer. He was standing by a group of guys who were probably from his band. I blushed then looked away.

"Come on Jess lets go walk around some more!" I said.

"Oh ok," she agreed.

Sorry the chapter was kind of short, I got writers block. I hope you all like the story so far. Go easy on me this is my first time writing something for so if it's bad I'm sorry!


End file.
